The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for supporting the upper warp beams of a conventional loom, and in particular, for supporting upper warp beams of increased capacity.
A constant goal in industry is to increase production. The textile industry is no exception. In the textile industry, automated looms are used to produce woven goods. A conventional loom typically includes a series of warp yarns extending perpendicularly to the loom frame and a series of filling yarns which are carried back and forth parallel to the loom frame in the forming of a woven product. The woven product is then taken up on a take-up, or cloth, roll.
The warp yarns are delivered from cylindrical rolls known as warp beams. Warp beams are carried for rotation by the loom frame and are slowly rotated as the warp yarns are payed out from the warp beam. The warp beam typically has hundreds of individual warp yarns running its length, each of the warp yarns being wound on the warp beam individually, in a side by side fashion. Devices for winding the warp yarns have been patented and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,224, issued Sep. 10, 1991, to Bogucki-Land, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,173, issued Jul. 23, 1991 to Hagewood; U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,666, issued Jul. 16, 1991, to Raaijmakers, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 2,738,565, issued Mar. 20, 1956 to Robertson, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 811,358, issued Jan. 30, 1906 to Baer.
Patented loom devices include U.S. Pat. No. 1,468,576, issued Sep. 18, 1923, to Remington, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,665, issued Feb. 7, 1967 to McHargue; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,151, issued Apr. 1, 1986, to Mohelnicky, et al.
In certain applications, it is advantageous to provide upper warp beams to a loom, in addition to the warp beams normally carried adjacent the base of the loom. The use of the additional upper warp beams is common with making woven products such as terry cloth, a patented terry fabric method being discussed by the U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,665.
A problem arises with the supporting of upper warp beams on the loom. Because of their weight, the upper warp beams are typically of a smaller diameter, and thus lighter than, the lower warp beams in order to ensure adequate support of the upper warp beams is possible. Because such warp beams are smaller than the lower warp beams, and accordingly have less capacity, the need of changing the upper warp beams more frequently than the lower warp beams is necessitated, resulting in increased downtime of the machine, increased labor costs, and corresponding productivity decreases. As an example, the Sulzer-Ruti Model 153 loom exhibits this problem. However, this problem could potentially exist wherever upper warps beam are added to a loom.
Other problems exist with adding upper warp beams to a loom. For example, when at least two upper warp beams are added, a center support is required between the two upper warp beams, which not only acts as a support but also acts as a bearing surface for the shafts on which the upper warp beams are supported. Because the ends of the warp beams must be relatively close together due to the operational constraints of the loom, the space provided between the ends of the warp beams is small. Correspondingly, the support and bearing surfaces located between the ends of the upper warp beams must also be of a low profile. Accordingly, problems have arisen in that such supports have not been adequate to simultaneously support the upper warp beams adequately for preventing bending and sagging of the beams in the mid-portion of the loom and also for adequately constraining the beams from outward longitudinal movement during rotation.
In some instances the upper warp beams have actually fallen from the central supports during operation, thereby creating a serious safety hazard, in addition to potentially damaging the loom and other machinery and causing production losses.